Page 1 - NWA Newsletter - January 2017

Inside

The NWA: Connecting operational meteorologists in pursuit of excellence in weather forecasting, communication and service.

NWA NEWSL E T T E R

January 2017No 17 - 1

NWA Annual Awards

We invite you to nominate individuals, teams or organizations whose outstanding efforts in operational meteorology and related sciences deserve special recognition.

The online submission form is always open, but the submission deadline for the 2017 Annual Meeting is June 6. Submissions received after that will be in contention for the 2018 awards.

The Awards Committee needs submissions from you in order to pick winners, so please share with us some of the great work being done out there.

The National Weather Association Foundation is only a few months old and has already raised over $18,000 in donations. This is an exciting beginning for the foundation, which will be offering scholarships, grants and weather education. The Foundation currently offers seven scholarships and two grants. It is not too late to become a founding donor, just send your donations to the National Weather Association Foundation at 3100 Monitor Ave #123, Norman, Oklahoma, 73072, or donate online.

If you have any suggestions of outreach programs that the Foundation should become involved in, or you wish to serve on one of the Foundations committees, please contact us at nwahelp@nwas.org. We are looking for volunteers.

See page 8 for two recently named scholarship winners.

Building Up Our FoundationCentral Iowa Scholarship Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

New NWA Members . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . 2

NWA Election Results . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Bob Glahn Scholarship Recipient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

42nd Annual Meeting Information and Call for Abstracts . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Q&A Social Media Committee Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Weather News Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

JOM Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

NWA Committee Chairs . . . . . . . . . 6

Social Media Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Scholarship Recipients Named . . . 8

Professional Development and Other Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Newsletter and NWA Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Page 2 - NWA Newsletter - January 2017

Hello, everyone! I am so blessed and honored to serve you as your president for the upcoming year—a year that promises to be yet another exciting one for the NWA. The National Weather Association Foundation is still in its infancy, but we will work closely with its leadership to help it grow and thrive. We look forward to curating our new NWA website and developing it into a premier portal for sharing information on NWA activities, member news, meetings and events, scholarship and grant opportunities, and more. And we will share fantastic new tools, views, ideas, discoveries and innovations via the Annual Meeting, Newsletter, website, social media, and the Journal of Operational Meteorology. All of this will be facilitated by our top-notch Executive Director and her staff, along with scores of smart, energetic volunteers on the committees, teams and Council, all operating together to make this a truly homegrown, unique and strong organization.

I became part of the NWA universe in the mid 1990s, and since that time it has enriched my life immensely, both personally and professionally, in immeasurable ways. Through my NWA involvement over the years, I have met and become friends with so many wonderful people from all sectors of the weather enterprise who share common goals: pursuing excellence in operational meteorology and sharing their enthusiasm about the weather. Only here can you collaborate so closely with operational-minded academia, NWS and other public-sector forecasters, broadcast meteorologists, private-sector meteorologists, and social scientists to advance the science of weather and climate and, in the process, gain an understanding of the values of each of our contributions.

It was very early in my career that I fi rst heard about the concept of research-to-operations, and I quickly developed an appreciation for the importance of deep connections among meteorological researchers, operational forecasters and broadcasters, and the people and entities that we serve, all working together in a circular process chain. Researchers provide relevant study results to those creating warnings and forecasts as well as to those charged with conveying this information to the public and other user groups in clear and tailored ways; the needs of these users then help inform the research and the process begins anew. It is within this process that we fi nd another common thread: we all put science to work as we serve each other and the public. Each of us cannot achieve maximum success without work and engagement with others in the weather enterprise.

This teamwork, and the resulting service, is what the NWA is all about. It’s the driving force behind this year’s theme, Putting Science into Service, which encapsulates the ideas of collaboration and partnerships, of exploring the science and applying it to improve not only forecasts and warnings but how society uses weather information. You will be able to experience this theme at work throughout the year and at the 2017 Annual Meeting, which will take place in Garden Grove, California, in September. This meeting is in the hands of our terrifi c Program Chairs, Todd Lericos and Miles Muzio, and countless volunteers.

Before wrapping up this month’s message, I want to offer my deepest thanks and appreciation to our outgoing President, David Freeman, who over the last year has brought wisdom, leadership, kindness, and thoughtful guidance to the NWA helping to make it better than ever. I look forward to continuing our endeavors and helping to facilitate new ones. And I look forward to engaging with all of you in the coming year as we continue to grow the NWA into the premier organization for operational meteorologists.

ATTENTION STUDENTS! March 3 Deadline

The Central Iowa Chapter of the National Weather Association has two scholarship opportunities for you with a deadline of March 3. (click titles for details):

• Pam Daale Memorial Scholarship in Broadcast and Operational Meteorology

• Tim Samaras Memorial Scholarship in Research Meteorology:

Links to these scholarships can also be found at the bottom of our scholarships page.

NWA’s Newest Chapter: From Foundation to a California Annual Meeting

January President’s MessageGail Hartfi eld, January 2017

NEW NWA MembersPlease welcome these members who joined the NWA in December 2016!

Regular Members:Jacqueline LayerMark Paque� e

TJ PignataroCory ReppenhagenAbigail Robertson

Andrew Spier

Student Members:Patrick Cassat

Heather DulaneyJared Fauque

Houston GreenRyan HickmanAlex Morrison

Melinda PullmanJacob Spender

Katherine StorrickMa� hew Tu� edal

Page 3 - NWA Newsletter - January 2017

Mackenzie Nuthals of Green Bay, Wisconsin, is the winner of the 2016 Bob Glahn Scholarship in Statistical Meteorology. Mackenzie is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM).

Mackenzie has maintained a high GPA during her undergraduate studies and has been the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards. She serves as the president of the Atmospheric Science Club at UWM, and remains active both on and off campus with extracurricular activities and internships. Mackenzie has a passion for learning and applying the statistical idea of “probability versus possibility” in weather forecasting, and will earn a minor in actuarial science when she graduates in the spring. She plans to actively seek training that will allow her to pursue a career at the forefront of risk assessment.

The individuals above join the following NWA Council members in leading your association:

President: Gail Hartfield-Supina

Immediate Past President: David Freeman

Vice-President: William Murray Secretary: Randy Graham

Councilors: Trisha Palmer Todd Lericos Pat Spoden Nick Walker Susan Jasko Nate Johnson Jennifer McNatt Greg Stumpf

Student Councilor: Sarah Trojniak

Bob Glahn Scholarship

Page 4 - NWA Newsletter - January 2017

Hyatt Regency Orange County

Garden Grove, California

The 42nd NWA Annual Meeting

September 16 - 21, 2017

Program Committee Co-ChairsTodd LericosNOAA National Weather ServicesLas Vegas, NV

Miles MuzioKBAK-TVBakersfi eld, CA

Broadcaster Meteorology Workshop Program Chair Mike GoldbergWTVR-TVRichmond, VA

Click for program chair contact info

Abstract SubmissionThe Committ ee is looking for session presentations or posters to be considered for the meeting; they must be submitt ed via an abstract. This document should be short, but contain enough information to allow the conference organizers and att endees suffi cient understanding of what the author intends to express. It must contain an introduction, body and conclusion. Points to be addressed are your motivation (why are you writing the paper), your issue (what the subject is), your approach (how you resolve the issue), your result, and fi nally your conclusion.

Presentation Relevance to Conference ThemeEach year the Annual Meeting has a specifi c theme chosen by the NWA President. Below is a generalized list of theme components for this year’s meeting. In addition to the traditional sessions (e.g. severe weather, winter, fl ooding, etc.), the Program Committ ee is specifi cally soliciting abstracts that relate to one of the following theme components. If your submission fi ts one or more of the following, please select all that apply.

• Putt ing science into service• Vulnerable populations (public safety and environmental

threats)• Progress in weather services (science in service

advancements)• Innovations in observational methods and applications

(new atmospheric monitoring)• Partnerships in the weather enterprise (alliances and

team building)

Abstracts will be vett ed by the conference program committ ee. Successful submissions will be evaluated on quality, uniqueness and public interest. Click for more on abstracts including this year’s theme components and how to submit.

Important Dates• Abstract Submission Deadline: March 9• Oral and Poster Presenters Notifi ed: late April• Preliminary Agenda Posted On-line: Summer 2017• NWA Annual Meeting: September 16-21

Schedule of Events• Broadcast Meteorology Workshop: Sunday,

September 17• Ninth Annual Student Session including Speed

Mentoring: Sunday, September 17• General Sessions: Monday-Thursday, September

18-21• NWA Annual Awards Luncheon: Wednesday,

September 20

“Putting Science into Service”

“Putting Science into Service”Every day, operational meteorologists put their knowledge and understanding of the science of weather, climate, and related fi elds to work, in service to a wide variety of partners and users. They work together in a circular process chain – with researchers providing relevant study and modeling results to those creating warnings and forecasts and to those charged with clearly conveying this information to the public and other users, in order to help them make crucial weather- and climate-dependent decisions.

The needs of these users then help inform the research, and the process begins anew. Within this process, achieved through strong partnerships among all entities within the weather enterprise, operational meteorologists apply the science to solve weather- and climate-related problems, benefi t society, and fulfi ll countless weather and climate needs.

Page 5 - NWA Newsletter - January 2017

This is part of a series of interviews with our NWA committee chairs. This interview was conducted by Grant Tosterud, our NWA student intern, with the chair of the Social Media Committee, Trevor Boucher.

What does the Social Media Committee do, and what are the different aspects and roles of your committee?We have several tasks that we perform regularly:• Post NWA-related news and updates on

various social media outlets (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Periscope).

• Provide social media support to the annual meeting (live-streaming, tweeting, slide support, etc.)

• Promote Weather-Ready Nation.• Highlight local chapter news.• Inform the weather community of new publications and

professional development opportunities (JOM articles, Webinar Wednesdays, etc.).

• Support NWA sponsors.

What are the committee’s goals?Our goals are to:• Provide top-notch social media support for the annual meetings• Stay on top of latest social media trends/changes and utilize

the new technologies.• Incorporate Snapchat in 2017. • Support and promote NWA committees.

What are the biggest projects your committee is working on?We are beginning a Snapchat presence, revamping our committee webpage, and bringing on board new members that can help us do these things. We may also suggest a special remote session at next year’s meeting for our presenters who can’t attend.

What is the biggest challenge your committee faces?The single biggest challenge of the committee is time. Managing multiple so cial media outlets requires a lot of time, especially with our large following. In a profession where weather often gets in the

way, it can be tough to manage all of our outlets while many members also manage personal and work social media accounts, work varying times of the day, and contend with the weather.

At the annual meetings, the busiest week of the year for many committees, it can be especially diffi cult to fi nd volunteers to support all the things we do. Last year, the committee members did their best to tweet each presentation, manage the twitter wall between sessions, live-stream poster and keynote presentations, and generate Storify summaries each day. We did this with four people at the meeting and an additional two to three helping out remotely.

What is the greatest strength of your committee? I think the greatest strength of the committee is our teamwork. Members are given specifi c areas of focus so everyone knows what their role is and how it fi ts into our overall goals. Some members are responsible for Webinar Wednesday support, some for WRN promotion, some for local chapter support, and some for JOM promotion. Using this division of duties, we don’t duplicate efforts and content is fresh nearly every day.

What have you learned serving as a committee chair?Don’t try to do everything yourself. When I inherited the committee in January 2016, we had many committee vacancies. Thus, only a few of us were available to do the many committee functions and to come up with new ideas. It didn’t take long for me to realize I couldn’t tweet and post everything myself nor respond to questions or comments 24/7. That’s why our committee makes a point to recruit individuals that understand what is involved in managing social media accounts with large followings.

Q&A with Trevor Boucher, Social Media Committee ChairGrant Tosterud, NWA Student Intern

A monthly look at interesting news factoids and stories from around the globe. Click titles for details!

Blown AwaySorry, Chicago. Nashville was the USA’s windiest city in 2016

Add it UP!� e Huge Costs of Weather Damage in 2016

A True Lighting RodLightning, Weather’s Byproduct, May Become One of Its Predictors

Follow the MoneyWhat winter weather (or a lack of it) means to our � nances

Page 6 - NWA Newsletter - January 2017

This month marks the four-year anniversary of the JOM. In January 2013, the NWA Digest and the NWA EJOM merged into the all-electronic journal.

The National Weather Digest -- published from 1976 to 2012

The NWA EJOM -- published from 2000 to 2012

During these four years, the JOM has had a total of 73 publications. The JOM transitioned to an open access journal in early 2016. As such, all articles, are available free of charge. Published by the NWA, JOM covers topics relevant to all aspects of operational meteorology on a range of time and space scales.

There are four categories of JOM publications: Article, Short Contribution, Images of Note and Commentary.

Suitable topics include new or improved forecasting and warning techniques, verifi cation studies, applications of observations and models to improve forecasts and warnings, and case studies of major weather events. Climatological studies, interdisciplinary studies, and studies documenting education and training practices also will be considered if relevant to operational meteorology. In addition, the editors welcome submissions that present strategies for the creation and dissemination of forecasts and warnings that maximize the protection of life and property.

JOM is a peer-reviewed journal with an international scope, providing authors with the benefi ts of economical publication costs and rapid publication following acceptance.

Thank you to the JOM authors, reviewers and editors for continuing to make JOM a success. Visit the JOM page for more information about JOM and instructions on how to submit articles.

Commissioner of Committees:Frank Brody(non-voting appointed member of the NWA Council)

Awards Committee:Jeffry Evans

Diversity Committee:Faith BordenJennifer Hogan

Nominating Committee:Alan Sealls

Remote Sensing Committee:Frank Alsheimer

Specialized Operational Services Committee:Richard Okulski

NWA Committee Chairs 2017Annual Meeting 2017 Program Committee:Miles MuzioTodd Lericos

Broadcast Meteorology Committee:Nate Johnson

Education Committee:Jeffrey S. Tongue

Professional Development Committee:Trisha PalmerBecca Mazur

Social Media Committee:Trevor Boucher

Strategic Planning Committee:Nezette Rydell

Aviation Meteorology Committee:Jim Reynolds

Membership and Marketing Committee:Bruce Jones

Local Chapters Committee:Cathy Zapotocny

Publications Committee:Chris Schultz

Societal Impacts of Weather and Climate Committee:Jen Henderson

Weather Analysis and Forecasting Committee:Dan Gallagher

For full contact information please go to the NWA Committees web page.

Page 7 - NWA Newsletter - January 2017

The Three Rivers Chapter of the NWA takes pride in its success and service through our members’ involvement in conferences, educational outreach, our colloquia series, social events, internships and research.

CONFERENCES AND EDUCATIONAL TRIPS:Nine student members were selected to attend the American Meteorological Society 97th Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, January 22–26. To be eligible for selection, students were required to submit an application with a cover letter and resume to our organization’s advisor. They were also required to dress professionally at a chapter meeting in order to be considered. Some of the students out of the nine selected to go were also chosen for the work study position through AMS. They will be working alongside professionals in the fi eld during the conference.

Educational trips are also very important to the Three Rivers Chapter. One of the main educational trips chapter members took this year was to the Pittsburgh NWS offi ce, located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. While there, chapter members saw what it would be like to work for the NWS. They also participated in a weather balloon launch and watched the real-time data being collected.

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH:On November 14, a member of our educational outreach committee, Aaron Haegele, visited California Area Middle School in Coal Center, Pennsylvania. He talked to students about general earth science education and about the potential career options associated within the fi eld.

COLLOQUIA SERIES: Jason Levit from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere in Arlington, Virginia, came to Cal U on November 18 to give a talk about careers in the atmospheric sciences. He discussed his experiences in trying to get a job in the fi eld, the importance of having computer programming skills, how today’s politics infl uence the job market, and the outlook for potential atmospheric science careers in the future. Jason also described how important it is to be well-rounded and acquire as many skills as possible for success in the fi eld. He examined the chances that someone with an undergraduate degree could land a position with the NWS and the possibility of obtaining a career in computer programming before getting one in atmospheric science.

On Monday, November 21, Dr. Jamie Mitchem from the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, Georgia, spoke at Cal U. Dr. Mitchem gave an informative talk on meteorological hazard communications. He focused on various extreme weather events that required great communication techniques from meteorologists to the public. He used case studies such as Hurricane Matthew for his observations. Dr. Mitchem also discussed what he found to be ineffective warnings being put out when an extreme weather event was to occur and how we can prevent such communication in the future. This presentation could be streamed via our organization’s Periscope.

SOCIAL EVENTS:The Three Rivers Chapter had two social events during this quarter. The fi rst was on November 20, at Chapter President Rachael Hough’s house. This event was our organization’s “Friendsgiving” where everyone brought a dish to share and celebrated Thanksgiving. The second social event was our “winter social” on December 9, at Meloni’s Restaurant in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Chapter members met at Meloni’s to enjoy catered food and each other’s company to wind down at the end of the semester.

FUNDRAISING:Fundraising continues to play a crucial role in the Three Rivers Chapter’s success. Student members continue to raise money in various ways. Sarris Candies were sold as a fundraiser to profi t the organization. Another fundraiser this year is our hot chocolate/coffee bar. Every weekday from around 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., members of the chapter raise money by selling varioustypes of coffee and hot chocolate for $1. All of our memberswork shifts throughout the week to ensure this fundraiser’ssuccess. At the table, we also sell our organization’s Clif andcandy bars. The hot chocolate/coffee bar will run throughmost of the spring semester and will be extremely benefi cial tomaintaining the chapter’s successes.

PHILANTHROPY:Philanthropic events allow our chapter members to give back to the communities and volunteer in any way that they can. One of our philanthropic events involved the Washington Area Humane Society, located in Washington, Pennsylvania. On November 5, four chapter members went to the Washington Area Humane Society for the day. Adam Andresen, Rachael Hough, Kaitlyn Moffett, and Amy Burnett volunteered throughout the day, helping take care of the animals there.

ChapterThree rivers nwa chapter quarterly news: October - decemberCalifornia University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) Steven Shrenkel, Secretary

Page 8 - NWA Newsletter - January 2017

Professional Development

NWA Newsletter (ISSN 0271-1044)

Editor and Publisher: Janice Bunting, NWA Executive Director

Communications Coordinator:Hulda Johannsdottir, NWA

Technical Editor: Winnie Crawford

Assistant Editor: Brett Borchardt

Student Intern: Grant Tosterud

Design/Layout: Mollie Doll,Treefrog Resources

Published monthly by the National Weather Association, 3100 Monitor Drive, Suite 123, Norman OK 73072phone: (405) 701-5167; exdir@nwas.org; www.nwas.org.

Submit newsletter items to nwanewsletter@nwas.org using the Instruction for Authors at: nwas.org/newsletter/instructions-for-authors/.

Members receive the Apex award-winning Newsletter online and accessto an online portal which includes the Journal of Operational Meteorology as part of their regular, student or corporate membership privileges.

Address, phone number, email and affi liation changes can now be made online: member.nwas.org.

We welcome articles from members. Send to: nwanewsletter@nwas.org by the 15th of the month for publication in the

following month’s edition at the earliest. Newsletter info and a link to author guidelines can be found at:

nwas.org/newsletter/instructions-for-authors/.

Newsletter SubmissionsWe welcome articles from members. Send to:

nwas.orgnwas.org

DEVELOPProfessional DevelopmentDEVELOPProfessional DevelopmentPike and Phillip Family’s Scholarship Recipients Named

The National Weather Association Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of two new scholarship winners. NWA Sponsored Meetings, Conferences &

Special Events in 2017 (Click titles for more information)March 10-12: 42nd Northeastern Storm Conference Saratoga Springs, New York

March 30-April 1: 21st Severe Storms & Doppler Radar ConferenceAnkeny, Iowa

Spring: Southeast Severe Storm SymposiumStarkville, Missippi

September 16-21: NWA 42 Annual Meeting Garden Grove, California

October 25-27: FLASH Annual ConferenceAtlanta, Gerogia

Other Meetings, Conferences & Special Events in 2017February 13: Disaster Symposium Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

February 14-15: National Tornado SummitOklahoma City, Oklahoma

February 17-19: ChaserConDenver, Colorado

March 3-4: 2017 Texas Weather ConferenceAustin TexasSeal holder CEU opportunity!

April 5-9: National Tropical Weather ConferenceSouth Padre Island, Texas

April 17-20: National Hurricane ConferenceNew Orleans, LA

Matthew Beckwith from the University of Missouri has been chosen to receive the 2016 Arthur C. Pike Meteorology Scholarship. Matthew is an atmospheric sciences student, with a minor in journalism. In addition to participating in on-campus weather and broadcasting groups, he is also a weather intern at KOMU in Columbia. After college, Matthew plans to pursue a career in broadcast meteorology. He is dedicated to communicating weather in an effective and meaningful way.

The recipient of the 2016 NWA Phillips Family Undergraduate Meteorology Scholarship is Cameron Paquette, a junior at SUNY - Albany. Cameron is studying atmospheric science, with a minor in mathematics. He has been named to the Dean’s List three times, and is active in Phi Theta Kappa and the American Meteorological Society. Cameron enjoys forecasting, and has volunteered with the National Weather Service offi ce in Albany. He hopes to continue working toward a career that will allow him to serve society by solving problems and mitigating disaster impacts.

Click for more on the NWAF Scholarship and Grants